Can opener and receptacle



Oct. 6, 1953 uv ET A 2,654,507

CAN OPENER AND RECEPTACLE Filed March 12, 1951 2 SheetsSheetl N P I WWW m W lNVENTQRj RICHARD L. TUVE EDWIN J. JABLONSKI ATTORNEY OCt. 6, 1953 TUVE ET AL 2,654,507

CAN OPENER AND RECEPTACLE Filed March 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (\l K) U] 00 w r- I (\l N II II KW H II H I {I H I: h I 0 I N LLJX N N) m a) 9 F N l T h a v H 3 0 INVENTOR 5 RICHARD L.TUVE

EDWIN J. JABLONSKI ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 6, 1953 OFFICE 2,654,507 CAN OPENER. AND nEcEP'rAoLE Richard L. Tuve, Silver Spring, and Edwin J. Jablonski, Seat Pleasant, Md.

ApplicationMarch 12, 1951, SerialNo. 215,177

(Granted under Title 35, U. 8. Code (1952), see. 266) 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined can openor and receptacle, more particularly to a device for opening sealed cans of large volume and collecting and delivering the liquid contents thereof It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a device of the kind described which is improved in respect to the time required for opening the can and draining the liquid contents thereof, It is a further object to provide a device of this kind by which large cans of liquid can be readily opened and the contents thereof removed and delivered to a place of use or storage in rapid fashion. It is a still further object to provide a device of this kind by which the can may be held in position for drainag and delivery of the liquid contents without requiring attendance on the part of an operator. Other objects will be apparent from the description which follows.

Briefly described, the device of the present invention comprises a receptacle with a drain or opening in the floor or bottom wall thereof for collection of the liquid from the opened can and delivery of same to a place of storage or use, a pair of laterally spaced upper and lower knives or cutter blades located over the receptacle, and means including an inclined way for guiding the sealed can to a rim engaging fulcrum about which the can is moved into engagement with the cutter blades. The cutter blades are so arranged that the bottom and then the sidewall of the can are opened in sequence, the upper cutter blade being preferably set at a height such that the sidewall oi the can is opened as near the top of the can as is practicable thereby to avoid drainage of liquid at this point. The upper cutter blade remains in the opening in the sidewall of the can whereby the can is retained in an upright position for rapid drainage. The lower or main cutterblade is preferably positioned over the drain or opening in the bottom wall of the receptacle whereby to cut an opening in the bottom wall of the can in an area lying directly over the drain, thus to promote speedier delivery of the liquid from the can. Delivery of the liquid from the can may be accelerated by providing a pipe in communication with and leading downwardly from the opening in the bottom wall of the receptacle. This pipe in conjunction with the hole in the upper portion of the side wall of the can i and the downfiowing liquid serves to exert a negative head on the liquid in the can whereby its rate of withdrawal is accelerated.

The construction of the device and the arrangement of the several parts thereof will be apparent from the following description which, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined can opener and liquid receptacle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking from the rear of the main cutterblade and showing the cutting head thereof.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the upper cutter blade but looking from the front thereof.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of the-device, partly in section, showing an opened can retained in upright draining position.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a combined sheath and plug in operative position for protecting the device when not in use.

Figure 6 is front elevational view of the combined sheath and plug.

Referring to Figure l, the receptacle 4 has a dished opening '2 in the bottom wall thereof for outflow of the liquid collected from the opened can and is mounted on a suitable support, such as the channel iron 3. The receptacle is so constructed that it may be placed over an open drum or other container or, if desired, permanently fixed over a closed storage tank by means of piping connections from the outlet 2.

A main cutter blade 4 is fixed to the floor of the receptacle adjacent to and in front of the opening 2 by means of the riveted section 5 and extends generally rearwardly and upwardly over the opening 2 for a part of the distance thereacross. As shown, the blade has a concave or downwardly bulged portion 6 extending into the sink or dished portion of the opening 2 from which it rises angularly and rearwardly, with the shank portion l merging into a reversely curved upper portion '8. Beveled lateral cutting edges 9 converge rearwardly to form cutting head H1 having a rearwardly and downwardly sloping ridge l I. As shown in Figure 2, the cutting head H of the blade is of triangular configuration. Ihe angle at which the shank portion l is fixed is not critical but preferably is one of about 65 to th horizontal. to the slope of the ridge H which preferably is set at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal. The slope of the bevel of the cutting .edges 9 is preferably about 30.

A fulcrum I2 is located in front of the cutter blade 4 and at a distance therefrom sufiicient to allow for insertion of the can rim and turning movement about the pivot of the fulcrum. The fulcrum is suitably formed of an angularly ar- (Figure 4). The slope of the shoulder is not critical but preferably is about 60 to the vertic l A saddle M for guiding the sealed can into engagement with the fulcrum I2 is located at the front of the receptacle. It comprises a front wall [5 attached to a pair of side walls [5 which incline to the base 3 and constitute spaced extensions of front wall I! of the receptacle. Walls l5, l6 and H are provided with inturned bottom flanges which are riveted to the base 3. The saddle has an inclined way l8 which may be made to conform to the contour of the can. Th way slopes downwardly and inwardly to the fulcrum l2 along a line coincident with the slope of the shoulder E3 of the fulcrum. The inner terminus of the way 13 rests upon a suitable support, such as the metal block or slab l9 welded thereto (Figure 4).

Fixed at a point over the receptacle and to the rear and above the main cutter blade is a second and smaller cutter blade 20 adapted to puncture and open the upper side wall of the can. Preferably this second cutter blade is so located as to cut the sidewall of the can as near the upper rim as is practical, thereby to avoid running out of the liquid at the upper end or the can. The cutter blade 26 is secured to a suitable support, such as the buttressed standard 2| attached to the base support 3. The shank portion 22 thereof extends angularly upwardly for a short distance over the receptacle and terminates in a cutting head 23 which, in construction, is similar to the cutting head ll) of the main cutter blade. The beveled cutting edges 24 converge to form a forwardly and downwardly sloping ridge 25 as shown in Figure 3. The slope of the ridge 25 is not critical but preferably is about 30 to the vertical. The slope of the bevel of the cutting edges 24 is preferably about 45.

In operation the can to be opened, for example, a five gallon can of liquid, is placed on the inclined way 18 and slid into position against the fulcrum R2, the rim of the can being hooked of the fulcrum. Pivoting about the fulcrum, the can is given a forward and downward movement to cause the main cutter blade 4 to puncture and out an opening in the adjacent end wall of the can in a back to front direction. On continued movement of the can down over the main cutter blade, the upper side wall of the can is brought into contact with the second cutter blade 20 by which it is punctured and an opening cut therein near the upper rim of the can. The hollow provided by the bulged portion 6 of the cutter blade 4 provides space for movement of the rim of the can about the pivot of the fulcrum l2.

. Figure 4 shows the opened can in position for drainage. The second cutter blade 20 serves the dual function of making a vent in the sidewall of the can to speed up the flow of liquid therefrom and, in conjunction with the main cutter blade, of fixing the can against sidewise movement whereby dislodgement of the can from maximum draining position is avoided. A further advantage of the device of the invention is the fact that a cut in the sidewall of the can makes it diflicult or a practical impossibility to practice fraudulentrefilling of the can.

over the pivot u The rate of withdrawal of the liquid from the opened can may be increased substantially by establishing a negative head thereon. This can be done by attaching a draft tube in the form of a pipe 33 of suitable length and diameter to the opening 2 (Figure 4). For example, a pipe of 3 diameter and 3 feet in length attached to the opening 2 will develop a negative pressure of a magnitude such that a 5 gallon can of a foam composition composed mainly of aqueous par tially hydrolyzed protein will be completely emptied in an interval of about 6 seconds, counting from the moment of first puncture of the can. Previously it was necessary to strike a hole in the can by means of a sharp instrument and to hold each can by hand in order to effect drainage and delivery of the liquid into the tank. The time consumed per can in this prior art practice is about 2 minutes, counting the time for opening of the can. In an emergency where the rate of withdrawal of the liquid from the storage tanks is accelerated, operation of the device of the invention with a negative pressure on the liquid contents of the can is of great value since the capacity of the storage tanks can be materially increased through a much faster delivery of the replenishing liquid from the cans.

The device of the invention is simple in its operation and finds particular use for the replenishing of storage tanks employed for storing liquid foam compositions used in fire-fighting aboard ships. A battery of the devices can be permanently mounted over and in connection with the storage tank or tanks by means of pipe connections to the outlet 2 of the receptacle, thus requiring the services and attention of but a single operator to open and drain a series of relativelylarge (5 gallon) cans of foam composition.

When the device is not in use the cutting head 10 of the main cutter blade 4 may be covered and the outlet 2 in the bottom wall of the receptacle closed against entrance of debris by means of a combined sheath and plug shown at 25 in Figures 5 and 6. This combined sheath and plug is a solid member made of wood or plastic and has an elongated cavity 2'! adapted to accommodate or house the cutting head IU of the blade 4. As shown, the elongated cavity at the top is of inverted V-shape in cross section, corresponding to the cross section of the cutting head l0;

and of rounded out cross section at the bottom. A recess 28, which may be formed by means of a metal insert 29, is provided at the top of cavity to house the point of the blade 4. The back wall of the cavity extends straight down for a short distance and then slopes downwardly and outwardly as shown at 3B. The slope of the lower inner wall 30 is conformed to the slope of the shank i of the cutter blade 4. The plug end 3| is shaped to fit snugly into the dished opening 2. A handle 32 is provided at the opposite end. The combined sheath and plug is readily put into position by bringing the cavity 21 down over the point of the cutter blade 4 and then moving the bottom or plug portion 32 into position over the opening 2.

Since various changes and modification may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is to be understood that the foregoin description is intended by way of illustration rather than by way of limitation.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for opening a sealed can and retaining it in an. upright position for drainage and delivery of its liquid content which comprisesin combination, a receptacle mounted on a base and having an opening therein for outflow of liquid therefrom, means rigidly mounted in said receptacle for cutting an opening in an end wall of a sealed can to permit drainage of the liquid content of. said can, said means including a knife in an upright position and a fulcrum adapted to engage a rim of the sealed can for turning of an end wall thereof downwardly over said knife, said knife being adapted to puncture said end wall of the can, cut a tongue portion therefrom in a direction toward the fulcrum-engaged rim of the can, fold said tongue portion inwardly of the can and enter the can as the latter is moved downwardly thereover, and means including a knife rigidly supported by said base in spaced relation to and in the rear of said first named means and adapted to cut a vent opening in the upper portion of the side wall of the can as the aforementioned end wall of the can is forced downwardly over said first mentioned knife, said second named means also being adapted to hold said can in an upright position for drainage of the liquid content therefrom.

2. A device for opening a sealed can and retaining it in an upright position for drainage and delivery of its liquid content which comprises in combination, a receptacle mounted on a base and having an opening in the bottom wall for outflow of liquid therefrom, means rigidly mounted in said receptacle for cutting an opening in an end wall of a sealed can to permit drainage of the liquid content of said can, said means including an upstanding pointed knife extending partly across the opening in the bottom of the receptacle and a fulcrum adapted to engage a rim of the sealed can for turning of an end wall thereof downwardly over said knife, said knife being adapted to puncture said end wall of the can, cut a tongue portion therefrom in a direction toward the fulcrum-engaged rim of the can, fold said tongue ,portion inwardly of the can and enter the can as the latter is moved downwardly thereover, and means including a knife rigidly supported by said base in spaced relation to and in the rear of said first named means and adapted to cut a vent opening in the upper portion of the side wall of the can as the aforementioned end wall of the can is forced downwardly over said first mentioned knife, said second named means also being adapted to hold said can in an upright position for drainage of the liquid content therefrom.

3. A device for opening a sealed can and retaining it in an upright position for drainage and delivery of its liquid content which comprises in combination, a receptacle mounted on a base and having an opening in the bottom wall for outflow of liquid therefrom, means rigidly mounted in said receptacle for cutting an opening in an end wall of a sealed can to permit drainage of the liquid content of said can, said means including an upstanding pointed knife extending partly across the opening in the bottom of the receptacle and a fulcrum adapted to engage a rim of the sealed can for turning of an end wall thereof downwardly over said knife, said knife being adapted to puncture said end wall of the can, cut a tongue portion therefrom in a direction toward the fulcrum-engaged rim of the can, fold said tongue portion inwardly of the can and enter the can as the fatter is moved downwardly there over, a second means including a knife rigidly supported by said base in spaced relation to and in the rear of said first means and adapted to cut a vent opening in 113116 upper portionof the side wall of the can as the aforementioned end Wall of the can is forced downwardly over said first mentioned knife, said second named means also being adapted to hold said can-in an upright position for drainage of the liquid content therefrom, and a pipe in communication with and leading from said opening in the bottom wall of the receptacle.

4. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the knife of 'the second means is a blade which extends upwardly and atan angle over the receptacle and above the first mentioned knife and terminates in an upstanding point from. which lateral cutting edges slope away on the under side thereof.- 1 I 5. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein the knife of the second means is a blade which extends upwardly and at an angle over the receptacle and above the first mentioned knife and terminates in an upstanding point from which lateral cutting edges slope away on the under side thereof.

6. A device for opening a sealed can and retaining it in an upright position for drainage and delivery of its liquid content which comprises in combination, a receptacle mounted on a base and having an opening in the bottom wall thereof for outflow of liquid therefrom, a cutter blade rigidly mounted in said receptacle in front of said opening and extending upwardly and rearwardly partly thereacross and having a reversely curved upper portion which terminates in an upstanding point from which lateral cutting edges slope away on the upper side thereof, a fulcrum rigidly mounted in said receptacle adjacent to and in front of said cutter blade and adapted to engage a rim of a sealed can for forcibly turning an end wall of the can downwardly upon said cutter blade whereby to cut an elongated opening in said end wall of the can in a. direction toward the fulcrum-engaged rim of the can, and means including a second cutter blade rigidly supported by said base in spaced relation to and in the rear of said first named cutter blade and adapted to cut a vent opening in the upper portion of the side wall of the can as the aforementioned end wall of the can is forced downwardly over said first named cutter blade, said means also being adapted to hold said can in an upright pogition for drainage of the liquid content thererom.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein a pipe is in communication with and leads from said opening in the bottom wall of thereceptacle.

8. A device for opening a sealed can and retaining it in an upright position for drainage and delivery of its liquid content which comprises in combination, a receptacle mounted on a base and having an opening in the bottom wall thereof for outflow of liquid therefrom, a cutter blade rigidly mounted in said receptacle in front of said opening and extending upwardly and rearwardly partly thereacross and having a reversely curved upper portion which terminates in an upstanding point from which lateral cutting edges slope away on the upper side thereof, a fulcrum rigidly mounted in said receptacle adjacent to and in front of said cutter blade and adapted .to

engagea rim of a sealed can for forcibly turning an end wall of the can downwardly upon said cutter blade whereby to cut an elongated opening in said end wall of the can in a direction toward the fulcrum-engaged rim of the can, and means including a second cutter blade rigidly supported by said base in spaced relation to and in the rear of said first named cutter blade, said second named cutter blade extending upwardly and at an angle over the receptacle and above the first named cutter blade and terminating in an upstanding point from which lateral cutting edges slope away on the under side thereof.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein a pipe is in communication with and leads from said opening in the bottom wall of the receptacle.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein a saddle is mounted on the base and has an inclined way leading to the fulcrum whereby the sealed can may be slid into position for engagement of a rim thereof by the fulcrum.

11. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein a 20 Number 8. saddle is mounted on the base and has an inclined way leading to the fulcrum whereby the sealed can may be slid into position for engagement of a rim thereof by the fulcrum.

12. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein a saddle is mounted on the base and has an inclined way leading to the fulcrum whereby the sealed can may be slid into position for engagement of a rim thereof by the fulcrum.

RICHARD L. TUVE. EDWIN J. JABLONSKI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Manuel June '7, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Nov. 16, 1938 Number 

